Fly-closer for boots and shoes.



G. A. BONNBY.

FLY CLOSER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLIOATION rum) we. 16, 1909-. RENEWED 001'. 21, 1911.

1,108,966. Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS (70-, F'HOm-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BONNEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOIR. TO UNITED SHOE MA- 7 CHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW J ERSE-Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Application filed August 16, 1909, Serial No. 513,129. Renewed October 21, 1911. SerialNo. 656,040.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BONNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain Improvements in Fly-Closers for Boots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to metallic fly-closers to hold together the opposite flies of a shoe upper and its object is to improve devices of this class.

In fly-closers of the type shown in applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 526,859, it is important to provide a device which shall be capable of conforming to the curvature of the last being used in the manufacture of the shoe, which also shall be detachable while the flies are under tension, which will be simple to operate, economical to manufacture, and of sufficient strength to withstand the lasting strain upon mens heavy shoes.

To this end an important feature of the invention consists in a fly-closer having a simple, strong yielding connection between the members engaging one fly with the members engaging. the other. By this construc tion, the fiy closer is permitted to conform automatically to the contour of any last, and is of ample strength to withstand the strain of lasting the shoe.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown a pair of members ar ranged to engage the lining of one fly are yieldingly united by a hinge connection to a similar pair of members arranged to engage the lining of the opposite fly. This construction allows the device to conform automatically to the transverse curvature of the crown of a-last, and permits a very strong fly-closer to be provided at a minimum expense.

To enable the fly-closer to be readily detached while the flies are under tension upon a last, the lining engaging members are preferably arranged to pierce the lining by a sliding movement in one direction, one member of each pair being thereby engaged and then a sliding movement in the opposite direction engaging the other members. As such sliding movements do not tend to increase the tension on the flies after the flycloser is once in engagement with them, it can be readily detached while the flies are under tension.

An important advantage of the device of this invention is that it may be used upon either a button shoe or a lace shoe, and whether-a shoe is being lasted either right side out or inside out. As herein shown, the device is applied to a button shoe being lasted while turned inside out.

In the drawingsFigure l is a top plan View of the device of my invention in application to the upper of a button shoe during the process of lasting; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the device of my invention.

As shown in the drawings, the device of this invention preferably comprises the parallel double-pointed needles 33, each of which is mounted upon a plate 4, and so mounted upon said plate that one of its ends projects further beyond the edge of the plate 4 than its other end. The plates l-t are pivotally secured to each other by the pin 5, in such manner that the plates 4+4 may fall toward each other in either direction from the plane which they occupy when in the same plane.

The operation of the invention is as follows:-

Referring to Fig. 1, the vamp of the shoe being lasted is indicated by the numeral 6 and the lining sections of the fly of said shoe are indicated by the numerals 7-7. The lasting of turn shoes being eifected while the upper is turned inside out, as shown in Fig. 1, the last isthere indicated by the numeral 8, and the line at which the inner edges of the lining sections 7-7 meet is indicated by the numeral 9. The sections 77 being drawn together, the device of this invention is applied by inserting the longer of the needle points 3-3 into the shoe lining at the points indicated at l010, said longer points being inserted in the lining to a sufiicient extent so that the shorter of the points 83 can be inserted in the lining and the device then moved back- Wardly from the direction of first insertion so as to cause the shorter of the points 33 to be inserted in the lining as indicated by 1111. After the sole has been secured in place the device may be removed by the reversal of the operations by which it was seated in place. The device may also be used where it is desired to place the upper of a button shoe upon the last right side out, but it is then necessary to apply the device to the upper before the upper is placed upon the last.

It will be readily seen that by the employment of this invention the meeting edges of the upper are held in true alinement during the process of lasting.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is:

1. A fly-closer for button shoes, consisting of two parallel double-pointed needles, a plate carrying each of said needles, and a hinge connection between said plates, substantially as described.

2. A fly-closer for button shoes, consisting of two parallel double-pointed needles, a plate carrying each of said needles, and a hinge connection between said plates, the

plates being of such length and being so secured to said needles as to provide a device havmg two shorter needle points at one end and two longer needle points at the opposite end, substantially as described.

3. A detachable fly-closer for shoes comprising a pair of engaging means'adapted to pierce the lining of one fly, means to engage the lining of the opposite fly, and a yielding connection uniting said engaging means whereby the fiy-closer may conform automatically to the curvature of a last, said engaging means and said connection -being constructed and arranged to be detached while the flies are under tension.

l. A fly-closer for shoes constructed and {arranged to be detached while the flies are under tension, comprising two members hinged together in such a manner as to permit the fly-closer to accommodate itself to the transverse curvature of the crown of a last, each member having a plurality of means to engage the lining of one fly only.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES A. BONNEY.

Witnesses:

ALFRED O. ERIKS,

VALTER C. STEIN.

Gopiu of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

